Accidentally invincible!

In the end, Lin Fan still proved to be the superior.

He successfully made Han Li believe that he hadn't held back, truly making him think he had been subdued with absolute strength.

At this moment, Han Li's head was buzzing incessantly. Lin Fan's move had left him dizzy. Although he had prepared himself for defeat, when it actually fell upon him—

He found it hard to endure.

The taste of failure was not pleasant.

Yet now—

He knew that, as the senior brother of Yin Immortal Mountain, he could not allow himself to sink into despair. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he cupped his hands and said, "Many thanks for your instruction, Daoist Lin."

"You honor me." Lin Fan cupped his hands in return.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Mao Zhenjun applauded and said, "Splendid, truly splendid. Now, have you all realized that there are always people beyond people, heavens beyond heavens?"

"Your disciple understands." Han Li cupped his hands towards Mao Zhenjun.

The surrounding disciples, snapping out of their disbelief, began echoing—

"Your disciple understands."

An elder exclaimed, "What a remarkable young man."

He had witnessed everything clearly just now. Han Li had indeed given it his all, yet he still wasn't the match for the other. This was truly frightening.

Mao Zhenjun said softly, "What if I told you that this young man didn't even use his full strength—would you believe me?"

The elder's eyes widened in disbelief. While he knew there were disparities even among geniuses, he couldn't fathom that the gap between Han Li and the other could be this vast.

Mao Zhenjun patted the elder's shoulder lightly and said, "Sometimes, perspective is very important. At least this proves that I, the old ancestor, was not mistaken. Take some time to talk with Elder Xue; things that ought to be let go should be let go. Don't let yourself get dragged down."

Even Elder Xue wouldn't be a match for this young man, let alone Han Li.

His intention was to make the disciples of Yin Immortal Mountain understand this reality. Occasional setbacks can drive progress, but frequent defeats would only lead to despair.

Qin Yang approached Lin Fan with a cheeky grin and said, "Brother Lin, you must feel pretty good, huh? You've really stolen the limelight this time. Compared to you, I'm not even worth mentioning. Look at their eyes—full of awe and reverence."

"Low profile," Lin Fan murmured two words.

"Understood." Qin Yang smiled. Low profile? Of course, he understood that perfectly well.

Afterwards, Mao Zhenjun invited Lin Fan and the others to stay at Yin Immortal Mountain, providing them with food, drink, and overtures of goodwill.

The young lass and caterpillar felt stifled.

Arriving in a foreign place did not frighten them at all; they instinctively followed closely behind Lin Fan.

That night—

—a banquet was held.

The female disciples of Yin Immortal Mountain frequently came to offer toasts, casting furtive glances and seductive smiles. However, their green lips made them somewhat intimidating. The young lass clung to Lin Fan closely. To her, these women appeared like temptresses. Whenever a female disciple approached, she would glare at them with killer eyes.

The female disciples, however, paid no mind to the glares of a small girl.

Qin Yang, meanwhile, was busy cozying up to Zhou Yang.

"Hey, let me tell you, brother. Your cultivation is decent; it's just that there's a slight gap compared to me. But if you work hard, I have high hopes for you." Qin Yang patted Zhou Yang on the shoulder, his words ostensibly kind but dripping with unbearable candor.

Zhou Yang sneered repeatedly. He had no words to defend his loss; yet, this behavior from Qin Yang ignited his anger.

"Qin Yang, thirty years east of the river, thirty years west..." Zhou Yang had barely begun to speak when Qin Yang interrupted him.

Qin Yang said, "No problem. Thirty years? I can wait. Sixty years, even. Challenge me anytime, and I promise you won't be disappointed."

Zhou Yang gritted his teeth in fury.

Damn him.

On the side, Xiang Fei shook his head helplessly. Such boundless arrogance—surely, the future would be promising.

Han Li held up a cup and said, "The battle with Brother Lin today allowed me to see my own shortcomings and realize how vast the world is. I toast to you, Brother Lin."

"Please." Lin Fan raised his cup.

But what exactly was the true purpose of Yin Immortal Mountain?

Lin Fan still did not know.

In his mind, there was definitely something suspicious. It was hard to believe that they'd invite them over just to give their disciples a lesson. Such a scenario seemed unrealistic.

Then—

Lin Fan asked, "Ancestor Mao, I'm quite curious. What exactly was your purpose in inviting us to Yin Immortal Mountain? Surely, it wasn't just for sparring with your fellow Daoists."

Mao Zhenjun laughed and said, "That's right. That's exactly it."

Lin Fan was momentarily dumbfounded by Mao Zhenjun's response. Could it actually be true?

Perhaps noticing Lin Fan's concerns, Mao Zhenjun continued, "Young friend Lin, don't worry. That's truly all there is—absolutely no malice involved. Please rest assured."

"Rest assured? Of course." Lin Fan responded.

What else could he say?

Mao Zhenjun's unpredictable moves had caught Lin Fan off guard.

This was the first time he had heard of such a request.

Inviting them over just to spar with the disciples, to teach them how dangerous the outside world could be and how many fearsome experts existed—it was truly intimidating.

Late at night—

In their accommodations—

Xiang Fei asked, "Brother Lin, do you think Ancestor Mao's words are trustworthy?"

Lin Fan replied, "They're likely credible. But we must always remain cautious; better safe than sorry. After all, we're on their turf. However, based on the current situation, it might truly be as they said—no hidden agenda."

"Brother Lin, Brother Xiang, why worry? In my opinion, they wouldn't dare make a move against us. Don't ask me why—I just have a gut feeling about it. Get some sleep, don't overthink it. Thinking too much is never good," Qin Yang said with a grin.

He clearly didn't take the matter to heart at all.

After all, a true Immortal Emperor would never stoop to such petty tactics. If they wanted to act, they'd do so directly—there'd be no delay.

"Sleep."

Lin Fan said.

It would be another sleepless night. The young lass refused to leave, insisting on staying nearby. What could Lin Fan do? He felt a bit helpless himself.

In the study—

"Han Li, there's one thing you must remember. This young friend Lin is worth befriending. Building a good relationship with him will benefit both you and Yin Immortal Mountain. Do you understand?" Mao Zhenjun advised.

Han Li replied, "I don't quite understand."

Mao Zhenjun froze briefly, then patiently began explaining. He could understand why Han Li didn't get it—after all, Han Li wasn't a worm in his stomach, privy to all his thoughts.

But explaining it was rather cumbersome.

There were many things he needed to avoid mentioning—like the fact that even the ancestor himself couldn't accomplish certain tasks, and now he had to cozy up to someone else. How humiliating. Hence, Mao Zhenjun had to explain it in a roundabout way.

Han Li leaned forward seriously and said, "Ancestor, your disciple feels like your words are as confusing as clouds and mist. Could you put it more plainly?"

"Forget it. There's no need for you to understand too much. Just build good relations." Mao Zhenjun didn't want to elaborate further. Though he had turned something that could be explained in three words into several hundred, the core message was still there. If Han Li didn't understand, then he simply didn't understand. Maintaining good relations was enough.

Meanwhile—

In the cultivation world—

The battlefield between Immortals and Demons—

A great battle erupted.

Huang Jiujiu and others clashed with demons. The Martial Arts experts, their blood vitality surging like rainbows, slew demons with shocking methods far superior to those of cultivators.

They were close-combat specialists, with physiques cultivated to extraordinary levels.

The battle, which was nearing its conclusion—

The Dragon Emperor of Dragon Burial Valley—

"Just like your master, you disgust this emperor. It's a pity—your master went to the Immortal Realm and escaped death. If he were still here, this emperor would ensure he died without knowing how." The Dragon Emperor spoke coldly.

Huang Jiujiu was drenched in cold sweat. Under the overwhelming pressure of the True Immortal's aura, remaining upright was already a grueling task.

"Heh." Huang Jiujiu displayed a look of disdain. "You think you could kill my master? If he hadn't gone to the Immortal Realm, do you really think you demons would dare invade the mortal world? Even if you had ten times the courage, you wouldn't dare."

The Dragon Emperor, enraged, roared, "You court death."

In an instant—

A terrifying wave of demonic energy surged forth, crushing everything in its path. Though Huang Jiujiu shouldn't have had to face such a formidable opponent, her unique identity earned her special treatment.

The Dragon Emperor personally left his demonic headquarters, crossing the void to destroy Lin Fan's beloved disciple.

Had this occurred within the Taiwu Immortal Sect, he wouldn't have been able to act.

But outside, being even slightly careless could result in death.

At this critical moment—

A small sun appeared before Huang Jiujiu. With otherworldly, flawless beauty, it bore black veins pulsating across its surface, eyes shifting into demonic irises. A surge of ancient, primal demonic energy exploded outward, instantly dispelling the Dragon Emperor's oppressive aura.

"Hmm!" The Dragon Emperor was taken aback. He hadn't expected a mere girl to shatter his dominance.

"Junior Sister..."

Huang Jiujiu, upon seeing the small sun, was elated but quickly became anxious. She hurriedly pulled the girl behind her and warned, "Be careful, he's the Dragon Emperor of Dragon Burial Valley—our master's mortal enemy."

"You..."

The Dragon Emperor fixed his gaze on the small sun, sensing a profound, ancient demonic force emanating from her.

"You too are a demon, yet you aid these Human Clan cultivators in opposing demons."

Fury surged in Huang Jiujiu as she responded, "My junior sister is part of the Human Clan—she's not a demon! Dragon Emperor, as one of the Four Demon Emperors, how can you go around recklessly labeling others?"

The once naive and innocent Jiu Er, in moments of crisis, exuded the courage of a heroine. She stood fearless before a powerful adversary, a trait learned from her master, never allowing herself to tarnish his name.

"Hahahaha..."

The Dragon Emperor burst into laughter, his booming voice resonating across the heavens and earth. "Interesting, quite interesting. I think I've finally figured it out. Though I wasn't present back then, I know the truth. You're a demon—the vilest fusion of demonic energy imaginable. Since you've betrayed the demons, this emperor now has the right to reclaim your life."

As his words fell—

The Dragon Emperor extended his hand towards the small sun, who felt immense pressure but said firmly, "Senior Sister, you leave first. I can hold him off."

Though she was a demon, the most fierce and malevolent origin of demonic energy embodied her essence.

Her very being oppressed lesser demons at their core.

"None of you will be leaving this place!" The Dragon Emperor roared, his absolute power assuring him that he could keep them all here. Escape was merely a fool's dream.

But then suddenly—

The skies underwent a shocking transformation. An immensely powerful aura enveloped the world, making the Dragon Emperor abruptly pause.

This was the second time he had encountered such an aura.

The first was in the Northern Desolation...